


A Time and a Place | New Years One Shot

by Milliadoc_Brandybuck



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: 1900s, F/M, New Year's Eve, New Years Eve Ball Drop, New York City, Time Travel, times square
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:26:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28430004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Milliadoc_Brandybuck/pseuds/Milliadoc_Brandybuck
Summary: Written in response to a prompt competition, prompt being "Your OTP share their first kiss on New Years Eve"Part of my 'A Time and a Place' main fic.
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 3
Collections: Christmas Prompts 2020





	A Time and a Place | New Years One Shot

**Captains Log**

**December 1907, New York City**

Where do I start? My first  _ New Years Eve.  _ The Doctor had to make it special, of course he did. We never really celebrated New Years Eve on the Peninsula. I mean, I don’t think we did. Why would we? We didn’t have the same calendar that the Earth has. The Doctor explained it to me and to be honest it sounds primitive and strange, but then when we arrived in New York City… all my doubts left my mind. After all, according to everyone we’ve met so far I’m ‘American’, so really The Doctor was right in saying I  _ should  _ visit America at least once. And what a visit. 

It’s been a few months since I left the base. Well, to me it has. We’ve been all over time and space since then. We’ve spanned hundreds of years, thousands of solar systems. If I didn’t keep a diary I would forget how long we’ve actually been together. Not that we’re together… but, you get me. Are we together? No. I’ve fallen into that trap before. We’re not together in that way. Or at least… Oh I don’t know. All I know is we’re travelling together. Me and The Doctor. The Doctor and me. The adventures we’ve had. He’s helping me remember who I am piece by piece. This life I’m now living. It seems a world away from the life I knew, or the one I’m trying to remember. The Doctor, the TARDIS and me. Sometimes I have to remind myself why I am here in the first place. I’m trying to find my brother. I can’t forget that. Oh, but time spent with The Doctor… 

Anyway. New Years Eve. We haven’t spent much time on Earth as he seemed to spend a lot of time here, but when I said I had never spent New Years Eve… well… anywhere, he knew he had to change that. He took us to 1907, New York City. My God. It was worth the ridiculous outfit and the corset that I had to squeeze into. I’m used to my pencil skirt and smart jacket combo, adapted from the 1940s that I originally crash landed in. Not the flouncy skirt and corset of the 1900s. But I forgot that I couldn’t breathe after a while. The amount of people piled into Times Square on New Years Eve, the bustle and the crowd surrounding us. The Doctor even changed his suit. It still had pinstripes, but it was grey this time. He dug out a bowler hat, too, and I couldn’t help but giggle at him. He could wear a dress and would look as handsome as ever. No. I mustn’t think that of him. He’s still getting over this Rose girl, and me… well… I’m here to find my brother, nothing else. We blended in easily amongst the natives of the 1900s is the point I’m trying to make. 

The Doctor explained what the New Years Eve Ball Drop was, and that he was taking me to the very first. He was worried I would think it primitive but my goodness it was beautiful. Seeing these Earth humans with their customs and advancing technology was such a privilege. The most beautiful part wasn’t that we were in another time, or even that I was there with a Time Lord, and a marvellous one at that… it was that it reminded me where I came from. I am human, after all. At least distantly. I almost cried as the countdown to midnight started and the ball dropped. Such progress. 

“It’s beautiful.” I said in a whisper mostly to myself. 

“Beautiful.” The Doctor agreed. However… he wasn’t talking about the ball. At least, I don’t think he was. I caught him out of the corner of my eye. He was looking at me. I tried not to react but I remember my heart flipping. I hadn’t realised I held such feelings for him. 

He had cleared his throat and we watched the last of the ball drop before returning to the TARDIS, saying no more of his comment. He noticed I was quiet as we stood around the control room. 

“What did you think?” He asked cautiously, folding his arms as he leaned against the console. 

“I thought it was magical.” I replied truthfully, though my head was still swimming with his comment. Had I over thought it, or had he meant it? He seemed to be thinking about the same things as he avoided my eye contact. 

“Wait until you see an Earth Christmas…” He said with a forced smile. I returned it and swallowed. 

There was a long silence as we both wondered whether things would forever be awkward between us now. I hoped not. I’m sure he did too. 

“I’m going to get changed. Record a log…” I said, and left the room before he could comment further. 

So now here I am, back in my usual clothes with this dictaphone in front of me. What did it mean when he had said ‘beautiful’. Had he meant it to be aimed at me? Truly? I had been so blown away by the comment that I hadn’t even paid much attention to the customs of Earth New Years Eve, that everyone around us had been kissing. It had been too awkward between us. 

“Lauren?” 

It’s the Doctor. Hold on. “Come in.” 

“Are you alright? You seem…” 

“I’m alright. Thank you for showing me the ball drop. It really was... beautiful.” 

A long pause. 

“I meant what I said, Lauren. I did aim my comment at you. I really do think you are beautiful. Hear me out. I’ve been thinking about it a lot and having you as my companion these last few months has been some of the best I have spent travelling in my long, long life. It sounds weird and I’m not a usual believer of fate, I’ve seen enough to know it doesn’t exist… but, Lauren, I feel I was meant to crash land on your base. To find you.”

“Doctor… I feel the same.” 

… 

…

“There’s another Earth tradition I should tell you about. The countdown to the New Year. 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2…” 

“1.” 

… 

…

He kissed me. He counted down to what would have been midnight and then he kissed me. I hadn’t made it up. The Doctor does feel for me the same as I feel for him. I can’t stop smiling. I thought it would make things awkward between us, but no. Not at all. We’ll keep travelling the universe, travelling time. The Doctor and me. 

Happy New Year indeed. 

Captain Lauren Harkness, companion of The Doctor, signing off. 


End file.
